The Irish standard., 1887-12-31

mind to something else, till at last she
said:
i feel a WEAKNESS and faintpess
about me this evenin'. So, Aileen, I'll
! go now to my bed and I'LL be up early,
please God, for your weddin' mornin'. /.
Oh. it's merry thing to be Young,
Aileen. When l look back sixty years!
It was then I first laid eyes on your
grandfather, a fine, handsome boy, and
God fearin' one, too. The Lord have
mercy on him and on my boys and girls
that are under the sod. Your father
was the youngest of them all. I was
eighteen when your grandfather put a
ring on me, and I'm closin up to eighty
now. We see dale of trouble in this
weary world in the coorse Of four score
years Still I had my share of JOY and
peace and plenty, and seen all belong
in to me die with the rites of the
Church, and that's a comfort. Sure
this life's but a passage to the glory
above. Sometimes almost see it. But
take me to my bed, ma colleen. It's
| the last night I'll have your arm to lean
upon. Somethin' tells me the last for
ever and always.!'
| When A,leen had seen her grand
mother safely in bed, and already drop
ping asleep, the young girl went out
again and stood leaning against the
door of the cottage, listening to the
faint, sweet twitter of bird in an
ancient thorn tree. The sky was dark,
the sudden early darkness Of an Irish
evening had fallen, and the fresh. cool
breeze coming down from the hill
rippled the little curls of dusky hair on
Alleen's forehead, and deepened the
CRIMSON on her cheek. Once more she
spoke aloud, as if the Intensity Of her
thoughts burst into speech;
It's sore heart that's within noe, but
I'd do it oy again, for the sake OF her
that's within, helpless as q child, she
that took me to her heart An infant,
when my mother lay cowsd and dead
and my father stricken with the fever
cried out to her in his ravin's to guard
and keep his motherless girl. She did
it, God sees she did, and it's my turn
! now. But it's a sore, sore Case"
| And she wrung her hands in silent
anguish. Her so.iloquy was broken in
upon at the moment by the sound of a
| voice, coming uncer' aiEly, both as TO
| words and music from lane at some
distance. But it Was an air chat Aileen
knew well, the exquisitely touching and
pathetic one of ma l3ouchaieen
| Bawn.'
Aiieen listened and the tears began to
| roll down her cheeks falling warm upon
her clasped hands, while with head
erect and her oars strained to catch the
reyaotesS sound, she remained till the
last faint echo OF the song had died
away. Then with low cry as Of pain,
! Aileen vanished into the hut.
| It was glorious morning. Nature
and June had done their utmost for the
earah, and bird and flower and Leaf
made harmony to which the human
heart is ever ready to respond. Aileen
had got up very early, when the white
dawn was bat stealing over mjst.clad
Tara, She dressed herself neatly and
carefully in her best, remembering that
it was her wedding day. her face wore
look almost OF despair, though it was
calm, and gave no traces Of agitation.
She stepped to the door and opened it
softly, 80 that the mornings faint,
sweet light, exquioite as the heart Of an
opening rose, entered and fell upon the
floor. Then, walking Oh tiptoe, that
she might NOT awaken the sleeper,
Aileen passed into the little room where
her grandmother slept.
Granny, ayic machree,' she whis.
pered bending over the sleeper. it's for
YOU I'm doin' it. Sure it's for You.
It's to save your poor heart from bein'
broken entirely.
Wistfully she looked down upon the
calm features over which smile was
breaking much like that in the eastern
sky.
She's peaceful, sure enough said
poor Aileen, and God be praised for
that, anyhow
She laid her hand as she spoke gently,
caressiagly apon the wrinkled fore
head. In moment her scream rang
out SO piercingly upon the morning air.
that a woman driving her cow along the
neighboring bobreen, rushed to the
spot. In an incredibly short time a
crowd of neighbors had gathered about,
eager always TO show their sympathy,
where the grim presence of Death has
made itself felt. But Aileen sat IN
conscious of them all, rocking herself
to and fro beside the dead woman, and
occasionally laying her hand on the
wrindled ones, that were folded so
above the aged heart.
All at once, there was stir in the
crowd and Father Curran, the parish
,,r;ost a arrived fo1'nwaf1 closely nv the